2025-03-31 02:05:46Wealth and power radiated in every corner of Sanchez’s grand hall, but to Elena, it felt like a gilded prison.Alejandro hosts another extravagant party, a well calculated display of his control over her fate. Her father,Capello,lingered near the bar, silent reminder of his betrayal looms as he avoids her gaze.
Alejandro was already behind Elena who tried to disappear into the crowd. “Enjoying the night?”His voice, smooth yet laced with menace, sent a chill through her. She turned away, but his grip tightened around her wrist. “Don’t walk away from me.” “I don’t belong to you.” She yanked free, her pulse pounding. His eyes darkened. “You will. Accept it, or I’ll make you.” Before she could react, she spotted Dino. Dino’s Silent Fury Dino stood at the edge of the room, his presence commanding even in the shadows. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes burned with quiet rage as he locked onto Alejandro. Alejandro hesitated, loosening his grip. Even he feared Dino. Dino’s voice was calm but sharp. “The lady said no.” Alejandro scoffed but stepped back, his smirk fading. Before tension could escalate, Sanchez entered. The room fell silent. His gaze swept over them before settling on Dino. “Causing trouble?” Dino remained still. “Just looking out for the family.” Sanchez chuckled darkly. “How noble.” His hand clapped Alejandro’s back. “My son can handle himself.” Turning to Dino, he murmured, “Strength without power is useless. Challenge Alejandro again, and the consequences will be beyond you.” Dino’s jaw clenched, but he held his silence. As Sanchez walked away, Alejandro lingered, grinning. Then he followed. Elena exhaled shakily. Dino turned to her. “Are you okay?” She nodded, though her hands trembled. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.” A Moment of Peace—Shattered Dino led Elena to a secluded balcony overlooking the courtyard. “Thank you,” she whispered. He leaned against the railing. “You don’t have to thank me.” She studied him. “You keep standing up to him.” “I always will.” A long silence stretched between them before she asked, “Then why do you stay?” Dino’s grip tightened on the railing. “Because I won’t leave you to face this alone.” Elena’s breath hitched, but before she could respond— Gunfire ripped through the night. Dino moved instantly, shielding her. Below, masked men spilled from a black SUV, rifles raised. “Get inside,” he ordered. A bullet shattered a nearby window. “Dino—” “Now!” He pulled her inside as alarms blared. Sanchez’s guards scrambled, but Dino didn’t wait for orders. He grabbed a fallen guard’s gun and took position at the entrance. Alejandro stormed into the hall. “What the hell is happening?” Dino ignored him. The intruders were already inside. Rivals? Assassins? It didn’t matter. He fired. One man dropped. The second spun, shooting wildly. Dino ducked, his movements precise. He fired again. Another collapsed. Sanchez’s men finally retaliated, forcing the attackers back. Alejandro was nowhere to be seen. Dino reloaded, scanning for Elena. She was crouched behind cover, gripping a pistol from a fallen guard. Good. She wasn’t defenseless. A commanding voice barked from outside. “¡Vámonos! Fall back!” The attackers dragged their wounded, retreating into the SUV. Silence fell. Then, sirens. Sanchez stormed in, fury in his eyes. “Who were they?” Alejandro demanded. No one answered. Sanchez’s gaze flicked to Dino, suspicion evident. Dino met his stare, unflinching. This wasn’t random. Someone was sending a message. And Sanchez wasn’t sure if it was meant for him—or Dino. Earlier That Night Neon lights pulses the city as Elena sprinted through darkened streets, breath ragged. A relentless Alejandro was behind her . She is running barefoot, ignoring the sting of asphalt.She tore of heels as it slowed her down. She ducked into an alley, pressing against the cold brick wall. Had she lost him? Then—footsteps. “Elena…” Alejandro’s voice was taunting. “You don’t think you can actually get away, do you?” Heart pounding, she looked up. A rusted fire escape. She climbed, arms burning. Alejandro turned the corner, eyes scanning. Then—he looked up. “Elena,” he called, his smile sharpening. She scrambled faster. A gunshot rang out. The bullet struck inches from her hand. Alejandro lowered his gun, smirking. “That was a warning, princesa.” Elena ignored him. She reached the rooftop, legs trembling, but stopped short. The gap to the next building was too wide. Trapped. The rooftop door burst open. One of Alejandro’s men stepped out, gun raised. Elena braced herself. She would fight. Then—a flash of movement. The thug grunted, staggering forward. A hand clamped over his mouth before dragging him into the shadows. Dino. Elena’s breath caught. He emerged, dark eyes locking onto hers. “Elena,” his voice tight. “Come with me.” She didn’t hesitate. Dino took her hand, leading her toward another fire escape. They climbed down swiftly, vanishing into the night. Back on the rooftop, Alejandro stood at the edge, watching them disappear. He licked his bloodied lip, eyes gleaming. “She thinks she’s safe with him,” he murmured. A slow, wicked smile spread across his face. “Let’s show her just how wrong she is.
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Dino led Elena through a maze of dimly lit backstreets, his movements swift and sure. He had spent years navigating the city’s underbelly, and now, that knowledge was keeping them alive. The night air was thick with tension, every sound amplified as if the city itself was holding its breath.After what felt like an eternity, they reached a rundown garage on the outskirts of town. The metal shutters were rusted, the paint peeling from years of neglect. To anyone else, it looked abandoned—but for Dino, it was a safehouse he had set up months ago, anticipating a day like this.Once inside, Elena collapsed onto an old, threadbare couch. Her body trembled, her breaths shallow. Dino knelt in front of her, scanning her face.“Did he hurt you?”She shook her head, but tears burned her eyes. “He almost caught me.”Dino exhaled slowly, his hands clenching into fists. The thought of Alejandro touching her, caging her like a possession, made his blood boil.“He won’t get another chance,” he promi
Burn Loot Chapter 11
Dino tightened his fists, his breath steady as he crouched behind an overturned car. The night air smelled of gasoline and sweat.They had been cornered by Alejandro's men in an abandoned warehouse near the port. Five men armed to the teeth. They weren’t leaving anything to chance this time.“Elena, stay low,” Dino whispered.Her pulse pounding in her ears. Elena nodded. The warehouse had become a battlefield.A shot rang out, sparking off the metal near Dino’s head.He moved.He rolled forward in a blur, grabbed a rusted metal pipe, and struck one of the gunmen across the jaw. The man crumpled before he could even react.The others turned.Another shot. Dino twisted.He didn’t stop despite feeling a burning pain across his upper arm as a bullet grazed him. He lunged at the next man, slamming his knee into his gut, then cracking his elbow against his skull.Two down. Three to go.Dino ducked as a thug charged, swinging a crowbar, grabbed the man’s wrist, and yanked. The crowbar clatte
Burn Loot Chapter 12
There was an echo of gunshots through the burning warehouse.Dino’s heart slammed against his ribs.Elena gasped, clutching her side. But no blood.Instead, one of Alejandro’s men had a bullet hole bloomed in his chest, staggered, eyes wide in shock. Then he collapsed.Dino’s gaze snapped to the entrance.A dark silhouette stood there. Sergio.Gun still raised, smoke curling from the barrel.“Elena, run!” Dino shouted.Alejandro snarled, firing twice.Dino lunged, shoving Elena out of the way. He felt the heat of the bullets whip past his ear. Too close.No time to think.The building groaned, about to collapse. As the fire roared louder, licking the ceiling.Alejandro was still blocking the exit; a second was all Dino needed. The timely distraction of Sergio had bought them that.---Dino didn’t hesitate.He launched forward, tackling Alejandro to the ground. Fists flying.Alejandro grunted, twisting beneath him, trying to bring the gun up.Dino slammed his elbow down hard.Alejandro
Burn Loot Chapter 13
Across the dimly lit room, Capello’s expression remained unreadable; he wasn't hurt because he was putting on a bulletproof earlier, but Elena—her face was a storm of emotions.She clenched her fists. “He’s toying with us.”Dino nodded. “But he slipped up. He wants me to stop digging, which means there’s more to uncover.”Capello exhaled heavily and sat down, rubbing a hand down his face. “You’re walking into dangerous waters, Dino.”Dino stepped forward, his voice firm. “I need the truth. No more half-answers.”Capello locked eyes with him. “The truth is, your mother knew too much. She wasn’t just paying Sanchez to keep you alive—she had something on him. Something big enough that he needed her gone.”Elena sucked in a breath. “And you knew?”Capello hesitated before nodding. “I suspected. But by the time I started asking questions, she was already dead.”Dino’s fists clenched. His mother hadn’t just been murdered. She had been silenced.Sergio walked in just then, holding another fo
Burn Loot Chapter 14
Dino sat in the dimly lit safehouse, his fingers tapping against the armrest of his chair. The name Enzo Moretti echoed in his mind. A ghost from the past—one he had never heard of, yet somehow tied to his mother’s fate.Elena paced in front of him, arms crossed. “I ran the name through our databases. No public records, no social security number. It’s like he never existed.”Sergio leaned against the wall, arms folded. “Which means he’s either dead… or very good at hiding.”Dino exhaled sharply. “Then we make him come to us.”Elena frowned. “How?”Dino’s eyes darkened. “By rattling Sanchez’s cage.”A Baited TrapHours later, Dino and Sergio sat inside an unmarked black SUV parked across from one of Sanchez’s lesser-known clubs—a hub for his illegal migration business.Sergio adjusted his earpiece. “Are you sure about this?”Dino’s gaze remained fixed on the club entrance. “We go in, make some noise, and force Sanchez to react. If Moretti is connected, he’ll show up.”Sergio grinned. “
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The night air carried the acrid scent of gunpowder as gunmen closed in from the trees.Bullets ripped through the wooden walls of the cabin, shattering glass and sending splinters flying.Dino pressed Elena against the floor, shielding her as Sergio fired back. “We’re sitting ducks here!” Sergio growled.Enzo Moretti, his face pale, clutched his side where a bullet had grazed him. “Sanchez won’t stop! He knows I know too much.”Dino’s jaw clenched. “We move. Now!”A Fight in the DarkSergio lobbed a smoke grenade through the broken window. As thick gray fog consumed the cabin, Dino pulled Elena up and guided her toward the back door.Enzo struggled to keep up, his breath ragged.A gunman appeared in the clearing—Dino took him down with a swift elbow to the throat, twisting his gun away before knocking him unconscious. Another came from behind. Dino spun, delivering a brutal side kick to his ribs, then a finishing blow to the temple.Elena grabbed a discarded pistol, her hands steady a
Burn Loot Chapter 16
The first gunshot shattered the night.Dino lunged, pulling Elena to the ground as the window exploded in a rain of glass. Sergio flipped the table for cover, gun already in hand.More gunfire. Tires screeched outside. Shadows moved beyond the broken window. Sanchez’s men had found them.Dino grabbed a pistol from the floor, eyes flashing to Sergio. “We hold them off. Get Enzo out!”Enzo, still weak from his wound, tried to move, but Elena was already at his side, gripping his arm. “We need to go now.”Another shot ripped through the air, just missing Sergio’s head. He fired back, hitting one of the gunmen.Dino turned toward Elena. “Go! I’ll cover you!”Elena hesitated, eyes locked onto his. But then she nodded, gripping Enzo tighter as she ducked low and moved toward the back exit.Sergio provided cover fire, taking down another attacker. Dino grabbed a second gun from the fallen man, his mind clear, body moving on instinct.One shot. Two. A swift kick to disarm another enemy.But t
Burn Loot Chapter 17
The tension in the air was thick. The moment Capello’s message came through, Dino knew this wasn’t just a meeting—it was a trap.Elena sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her fingers curled into fists. Her father had betrayed her mother. He had watched as Sanchez silenced her, and now he wanted to see Elena.Dino’s grip tightened around the wheel. “We’re not going.”Elena turned to him, her voice steady but laced with pain. “I have to.”“No, you don’t.” Dino’s jaw clenched. “Capello’s been playing both sides for years. We show up, and we’re dead.”Sergio, seated in the back, exhaled. “Dino’s right. We need to get to that locker first. Your mother risked everything to hide that evidence.”Elena’s eyes burned. “You think I don’t know that? But if I don’t go, he’ll send people after us.” She looked at Dino. “This is my father. I need to look him in the eye and see if there’s any part of him worth saving.”Dino shook his head. Capello had already proven who he was.But Elena had made up he
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Chapter 20
The dim glow of overhead floodlights cast long shadows as the rows of towering cargo containers stretched endlessly. The arrival of Dino, Elena, and Sergio at the Genoa shipping yard was met with a night air thick with the salty scent of the sea.Dino’s grip on his gun was firm, his mind razor-sharp. His mother was here. Somewhere. And Sanchez knew he was coming.Elena adjusted her earpiece. “Security’s light, but that’s not a good sign.”Sergio scanned the perimeter with binoculars. “Yeah. Too easy.”Dino’s jaw tightened. This was a trap. But it didn’t matter.“We go in,” he said. “Fast and quiet.”Inside the ShadowsThey moved between containers like ghosts, their footsteps silent on the cold pavement.Sergio pointed. “That warehouse. The one with the guards.”Dino nodded. It made sense. If his mother were here, they’d keep her close.Two men stood at the entrance, armed but relaxed.Amateurs.Dino signaled. Elena slipped behind the first guard, wrapping an arm around his neck. He s
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Dino’s fingers drummed restlessly against the steering wheel as they sped through the dimly lit streets of Genoa. His mind was still reeling from Marco’s revelation.His mother was alive.The thought was impossible to ignore. He had grown up believing she was dead—another casualty of Sanchez’s cruelty. And yet, Marco had smirked as he spoke, as if taunting him with the truth.Elena, seated beside him, cast a worried glance his way. “Dino… Are you okay?”He didn’t answer.Sergio sighed from the backseat. “Dino, we need a plan. If Sanchez has been keeping your mother hidden all these years, she could be anywhere.”Dino exhaled sharply. There was one place to start.“Sanchez has a safe house outside the city. It was never on his official properties list, but I remember hearing about it when I was a kid. My mother used to go there… before she disappeared.”Sergio’s eyebrows raised. “You think she might be there?”“I think it’s the only lead we’ve got.”Elena squeezed his arm. “Then let’s
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The night air was thick with tension as Dino pressed down on the gas, weaving through the darkened streets of Genoa. They had to reach the docks before Sanchez’s men did.Elena sat beside him, her fingers tapping anxiously against her knee. Sergio, in the backseat, checked his gun. “If Sanchez is already moving, we don’t have much time.”Dino’s jaw clenched. “Then we move faster.”They pulled into the docks, headlights cutting through the fog. The container yard stretched before them, steel towers of crates stacked like a labyrinth. Somewhere in the shadows, Sanchez’s men were waiting.Dino cut the engine. “We get in, grab the locker, and get out.”Elena nodded. “Fast and quiet.”Sergio smirked, checking his pistol. “Fast, maybe. Quiet? We’ll see.”Moving swiftly, they crept between the shipping containers, the scent of salt and rust thick in the air. Somewhere in this yard was the evidence Elena’s mother had hidden—proof of Sanchez’s empire.A distant clang echoed. They weren’t alone
Chapter 17
The tension in the air was thick. The moment Capello’s message came through, Dino knew this wasn’t just a meeting—it was a trap.Elena sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her fingers curled into fists. Her father had betrayed her mother. He had watched as Sanchez silenced her, and now he wanted to see Elena.Dino’s grip tightened around the wheel. “We’re not going.”Elena turned to him, her voice steady but laced with pain. “I have to.”“No, you don’t.” Dino’s jaw clenched. “Capello’s been playing both sides for years. We show up, and we’re dead.”Sergio, seated in the back, exhaled. “Dino’s right. We need to get to that locker first. Your mother risked everything to hide that evidence.”Elena’s eyes burned. “You think I don’t know that? But if I don’t go, he’ll send people after us.” She looked at Dino. “This is my father. I need to look him in the eye and see if there’s any part of him worth saving.”Dino shook his head. Capello had already proven who he was.But Elena had made up he
Chapter 16
The first gunshot shattered the night.Dino lunged, pulling Elena to the ground as the window exploded in a rain of glass. Sergio flipped the table for cover, gun already in hand.More gunfire. Tires screeched outside. Shadows moved beyond the broken window. Sanchez’s men had found them.Dino grabbed a pistol from the floor, eyes flashing to Sergio. “We hold them off. Get Enzo out!”Enzo, still weak from his wound, tried to move, but Elena was already at his side, gripping his arm. “We need to go now.”Another shot ripped through the air, just missing Sergio’s head. He fired back, hitting one of the gunmen.Dino turned toward Elena. “Go! I’ll cover you!”Elena hesitated, eyes locked onto his. But then she nodded, gripping Enzo tighter as she ducked low and moved toward the back exit.Sergio provided cover fire, taking down another attacker. Dino grabbed a second gun from the fallen man, his mind clear, body moving on instinct.One shot. Two. A swift kick to disarm another enemy.But t
Chapter 15
The night air carried the acrid scent of gunpowder as gunmen closed in from the trees.Bullets ripped through the wooden walls of the cabin, shattering glass and sending splinters flying.Dino pressed Elena against the floor, shielding her as Sergio fired back. “We’re sitting ducks here!” Sergio growled.Enzo Moretti, his face pale, clutched his side where a bullet had grazed him. “Sanchez won’t stop! He knows I know too much.”Dino’s jaw clenched. “We move. Now!”A Fight in the DarkSergio lobbed a smoke grenade through the broken window. As thick gray fog consumed the cabin, Dino pulled Elena up and guided her toward the back door.Enzo struggled to keep up, his breath ragged.A gunman appeared in the clearing—Dino took him down with a swift elbow to the throat, twisting his gun away before knocking him unconscious. Another came from behind. Dino spun, delivering a brutal side kick to his ribs, then a finishing blow to the temple.Elena grabbed a discarded pistol, her hands steady a
Chapter 14
Dino sat in the dimly lit safehouse, his fingers tapping against the armrest of his chair. The name Enzo Moretti echoed in his mind. A ghost from the past—one he had never heard of, yet somehow tied to his mother’s fate.Elena paced in front of him, arms crossed. “I ran the name through our databases. No public records, no social security number. It’s like he never existed.”Sergio leaned against the wall, arms folded. “Which means he’s either dead… or very good at hiding.”Dino exhaled sharply. “Then we make him come to us.”Elena frowned. “How?”Dino’s eyes darkened. “By rattling Sanchez’s cage.”A Baited TrapHours later, Dino and Sergio sat inside an unmarked black SUV parked across from one of Sanchez’s lesser-known clubs—a hub for his illegal migration business.Sergio adjusted his earpiece. “Are you sure about this?”Dino’s gaze remained fixed on the club entrance. “We go in, make some noise, and force Sanchez to react. If Moretti is connected, he’ll show up.”Sergio grinned. “
Chapter 13
Across the dimly lit room, Capello’s expression remained unreadable; he wasn't hurt because he was putting on a bulletproof earlier, but Elena—her face was a storm of emotions.She clenched her fists. “He’s toying with us.”Dino nodded. “But he slipped up. He wants me to stop digging, which means there’s more to uncover.”Capello exhaled heavily and sat down, rubbing a hand down his face. “You’re walking into dangerous waters, Dino.”Dino stepped forward, his voice firm. “I need the truth. No more half-answers.”Capello locked eyes with him. “The truth is, your mother knew too much. She wasn’t just paying Sanchez to keep you alive—she had something on him. Something big enough that he needed her gone.”Elena sucked in a breath. “And you knew?”Capello hesitated before nodding. “I suspected. But by the time I started asking questions, she was already dead.”Dino’s fists clenched. His mother hadn’t just been murdered. She had been silenced.Sergio walked in just then, holding another fo
Chapter 12
There was an echo of gunshots through the burning warehouse.Dino’s heart slammed against his ribs.Elena gasped, clutching her side. But no blood.Instead, one of Alejandro’s men had a bullet hole bloomed in his chest, staggered, eyes wide in shock. Then he collapsed.Dino’s gaze snapped to the entrance.A dark silhouette stood there. Sergio.Gun still raised, smoke curling from the barrel.“Elena, run!” Dino shouted.Alejandro snarled, firing twice.Dino lunged, shoving Elena out of the way. He felt the heat of the bullets whip past his ear. Too close.No time to think.The building groaned, about to collapse. As the fire roared louder, licking the ceiling.Alejandro was still blocking the exit; a second was all Dino needed. The timely distraction of Sergio had bought them that.---Dino didn’t hesitate.He launched forward, tackling Alejandro to the ground. Fists flying.Alejandro grunted, twisting beneath him, trying to bring the gun up.Dino slammed his elbow down hard.Alejandro